Huayu: You were supposed to be a top star, but you've become capital?

The hands of the clock on the wall silently slid toward one point.

Yang Chaoyue sat on the sofa, with the now-cold shrimp and scallop porridge on the coffee table in front of him.

For the umpteenth time, she turned on her phone screen, and her conversation with Lin Shen was still on her report that she had bought the porridge.

After that, there was no further news.

This is very unusual.

Even when he's socializing, Brother Shen rarely goes completely out of contact for this long.

If they move to another location, Brother Shen will usually give a brief explanation that he's changing locations or will be back later, so she doesn't have to wait.

This is the first time I've ever been completely out of touch for two or three hours, with no answer to phone calls or replies to messages.

A strong sense of unease crept into Yang Chaoyue's heart.

She recalled Shen Ge's retreating figure as he pushed open the door to the private room alone, Bai Mengyan's subtle worries about being taken advantage of, and the complexities and dangers that might exist at those drinking parties, which she, at her age, could not fully comprehend.

Although Brother Shen is a top influencer and investor with status and position, what happens when he faces certain deeply entrenched capital or industry forces?

What if someone uses force, or sets some kind of trap...

Yang Chaoyue shook his head, trying to dispel these overly terrifying thoughts.

She opened the location sharing app on her phone. The dot representing Lin Shen's location on the screen was not near the hotel, but stopped in a somewhat remote neighborhood that she had never been to before.

Yang Chaoyue's heart sank suddenly.

Has something really happened? Or... did Brother Shen go alone?

If you went by yourself, why didn't you tell her?

The hesitation and worry didn't last long. Yang Chaoyue quickly got up, changed into her outdoor clothes, and knew she had to go and check.

But that place doesn't seem simple. If I go alone and something happens, I might not only be unable to help but could also cause trouble.

Yang Chaoyue's first thought was Bai Mengyan, after all, they lived in the same neighborhood and were even on the same side.

The call was quickly answered, and Bai Mengyan's somewhat dazed voice came from the other end:

"A leap? What's wrong?"

"Sister Mengyan, something's happened! Brother Shen might be acting strangely!" Yang Chaoyue explained the situation as clearly as possible.

Bai Mengyan's sleepiness vanished instantly, and her voice rose considerably: "What?! Wait for me, I'm coming right away!"

Yang Chaoyue hung up the phone and called driver Wang Ge, asking him to bring Lin Shen's rarely used Audi downstairs to wait for him.

Few people know about this car; it's relatively low-key and unlikely to attract the attention of paparazzi.

Five minutes later, the three met up in the basement.

Upon hearing the situation, driver Wang started the car without saying a word.

Yang Chaoyue sent him the location address, while Bai Mengyan nervously gripped the back of the seat in front of her, muttering to herself:

"Will everything be alright? Brother Shen is so capable, he'll definitely be fine, right?"

The car sped through the night, heading towards the location far from the bustling city center. Yang Chaoyue pursed his lips, watching the street scenes rushing past the window, his palms slightly sweaty.

The destination was an extremely unassuming building with dark gray high walls, a tightly closed black door, and no eye-catching signs. There was only an inconspicuous metal plaque on the side of the door with cursive English lettering.

"This should be it," Brother Wang said in a low voice after parking the car.

The two girls got out of the car, walked to the door, and rang the doorbell. After a while, a small window on the side opened.

"Madam, do you have an appointment?" The security guard scrutinized the two girls, who were clearly young and dressed casually.

"We...we're here to find someone." Yang Chaoyue tried to calm himself down. "Is Mr. Lin inside? We're his staff."

The security guard's face remained expressionless: "I'm sorry, we cannot disclose guest information. If you have a reservation, please show your reservation code or have a guest from inside come out to meet you."

Bai Mengyan panicked: "We really are his assistants and colleagues! He's been in there for a long time, and we can't get in touch with him. We're very worried! Please let us in to check on him, or could you ask him for us?"

"I'm sorry, rules are rules. Without an appointment or guidance from an internal member, you cannot enter. Please leave." The window closed crisply, and no matter how many times they pressed the bell, there was no response.

Bai Mengyan panicked, banging on the door and shouting, "Hey! Open the door! We really are here to find someone! Just let us in! We're here...to deliver takeout!"

Yang Chaoyue tugged at her, knowing that arguing with the security guard was pointless, as privacy was paramount in such places.

She took out her phone again and dialed Lin Shen's number, while signaling Bai Mengyan not to rush.

In the private karaoke room upstairs, the background music had been turned down to a low, whispering tone.

A warm, ambiguous light streamed onto the two people embracing on the sofa.

Tang Yan's hand had already quietly slipped under Lin Shen's shirt, feeling the firm lines of his abdominal muscles.

Her breathing was a little erratic, carrying the sweet scent of alcohol, which she exhaled onto Lin Shen's neck.

Lin Shen's hand was also around her waist, and his other hand gently stroked her long hair. Their lips were almost touching, and their warm breaths mingled.

Confused and infatuated.

Tang Yan's eyes were misty with tears. She tilted her head slightly and leaned closer. Just as their lips were about to touch—

A sudden cell phone ringtone came from Lin Shen's suit jacket, which was placed on the sofa next to him, shattering the romantic atmosphere.

Tang Yan let out a dissatisfied whimper, hugging his neck even tighter, trying to cover up the annoying noise with her body and lips:

"Never mind it..."

But the caller was unusually persistent; after failing to get through the first time, they called back a second time.

Lin Shen stopped moving.

The confusion in his eyes receded quickly like a tide, and he regained some clarity.

Lin Shen gently pressed down on Tang Yan's hand, which was about to continue: "Sorry, Sister Tangtang, I need to take this call. It might be... urgent."

Tang Yan's interest was interrupted, and she was clearly annoyed and displeased, but she still let go of his hand, her eyes still fixed on him.

He gently patted Tang Yan's back, signaling her to wait a moment, then took out his phone, on which Xiao Yang's name was displayed.

"Hey, Chaoyue?"

"Brother Shen! Are you alright?!"

Yang Chaoyue's urgent voice immediately came from the other end of the phone, and Bai Mengyan's voice could be heard in the background.

"We're at the entrance of the place you located, but we can't get in. You..."

Lin Shen was now fully awake. He glanced at Tang Yan in his arms, then at the doorway, his brows furrowing slightly.

"You're at the door? Who let you in?"

"I haven't heard from you. I saw your location was here, and I was worried something had happened to you..." Yang Chaoyue's voice was filled with grievance and lingering fear.

"Okay, I understand."

Lin Shen sighed inwardly, feeling somewhat helpless, but he also understood that the little girl was worrying too much.

"I'm fine, I'm talking to a friend. Wait for me at the door, I'll be right out."

After hanging up the phone, she met Tang Yan's gaze, and the sweet smile on her face vanished, replaced by a coldness of being offended.

"Your people? They tracked us all the way here?" Tang Yan said sarcastically. "Lin Shen, your little assistant is really meddling. Or... is it someone else?"

"My assistant and colleagues were worried about me and came looking for me," Lin Shen explained simply, and began to straighten his slightly disheveled shirt.

Tang Yan was still under the influence of alcohol and her desires had not subsided, so how could she possibly give up?

"Worried?" She chuckled, poking Lin Shen's chest, her voice low yet seductive.

"Lin Shen, ignore them and let them wait. Tonight... how about coming to my place? Or, there are rooms upstairs."

Tang Yan pressed herself against him, wrapping her arms around his neck, her eyes alluring: "We haven't gotten to know each other well enough yet."

Lin Shen looked at her face, so close to his, filled with resentment and allure, and suddenly smiled. He reached out, lifted her chin, and pressed his lips to her slightly parted red lips.

"Sister Tangtang, there's always tomorrow. See you on set!"

After saying that, Lin Shen stopped lingering, got up, picked up his coat, and turned to walk towards the door.

Tang Yan was stunned for a moment by his sudden kiss and the words "there's plenty of time in the future." By the time she came to her senses, Lin Shen had already opened the door.

The sudden kiss did not appease her anger; instead, it added to her displeasure at being treated so casually.

"Lin Shen! You fucking bastard!" Tang Yan shouted angrily.

Lin Shen turned around at the door, waved his phone at her, gave her a playful smile, and then closed the door.

Tang Yan stared at the closed door, her chest heaving a few times. Finally, she snorted in annoyance, grabbed the wine glass beside her, and drank it all in one gulp.

Not long after, the heavy door of the clubhouse opened from the inside.

Lin Shen came out, dressed neatly, with no other signs of distress except for his hair being a little messier than usual.

Behind him followed Tang Yan, who had regained her composure but whose eyes were slightly cold.

At the entrance, Bai Mengyan, who was pleading with the security guard, saying, "We're really just food delivery workers, please be lenient with us," and Yang Chaoyue, who looked anxious and worried, both froze.

"Brother Shen!" The two men exclaimed in unison as they surrounded him, looking him up and down to make sure he was unharmed.

Tang Yan's gaze slowly swept over the two girls, a half-smile playing on her lips.

"Hey, Lin Shen, your little assistant and... junior sister are quite dedicated, coming all the way to pick you up late at night."

"In the middle of the night, I was so worried about you that I even 'delivered takeout' to you. How thoughtful of me."

She pronounced the words "delivering takeout" with exceptional clarity, the sarcasm obvious.

Bai Mengyan's face flushed red, feeling both embarrassed and angry. She wanted to retort but Yang Chaoyue quietly pulled her hand, leaving her only able to glare at him fiercely.

Yang Chaoyue pursed his lips and looked at Lin Shen, his eyes filled with concern and relief after confirming that he was safe.

Lin Shen seemed oblivious to the veiled meaning in Tang Yan's words, and stepped in front of the two girls, then smiled at Tang Yan:

"Sister Tangtang, you're joking. They're young and don't know any better. Please forgive them. It's windy tonight, go home quickly. See you on set."

After saying that, he didn't give Tang Yan a chance to speak again, and pulled the two of them to the car from both sides.

The car door closed, shutting out the slightly chilly air outside and Tang Yan's piercing gaze.

The black Audi A8L smoothly drove away from the quiet neighborhood.

The car was quiet, and Brother Wang was focused on driving.

Bai Mengyan and Yang Chaoyue sat side by side in the back seat, occasionally stealing glances at Lin Shen, who was resting with his eyes closed, as if they wanted to say something but hesitated.

After a while, Lin Shen opened his eyes, first looking at Yang Chaoyue, whose face was full of worry, and then at Bai Mengyan, who was pretending to look out the window but actually listening intently.

He suddenly reached out and ruffled Yang Chaoyue's hair.

"Were you scared?"

Yang Chaoyue's nose tingled at his gesture; he nodded vigorously, then quickly shook his head.

"No, no, we just can't get in touch with you, and your location is in a strange place. We're scared..."

"Afraid I've been kidnapped? Or drugged?" Lin Shen continued for her.

Bai Mengyan couldn't help but burst out laughing, then quickly covered her mouth.

"Silly girl, what could possibly happen to me?" Lin Shen withdrew his hand. "It's just that the place where we were discussing things was quite private, and my phone was on silent, so I didn't hear it."

If this happens again, and I haven't replied to your message for more than... well, two hours, then if you contact me again, don't rush over, especially if you're with her.

Lin Shen pointed at Bai Mengyan, who immediately protested, "Brother Shen, I was just worried about you! Besides, more people mean more help!"

Yang Chaoyue whispered, "I understand, Brother Shen. Next time... I'll be more careful."

Seeing that they knew they were wrong but would likely do it again, Lin Shen rubbed his temples, feeling somewhat helpless.

"Don't be so reckless in the future. Is this the kind of place you can just wander into?"

Yang Chaoyue looked up, his eyes red-rimmed: "But...you're not answering your phone, and the location is so remote, I...I'm afraid you've been drugged or something, like in the news..."

"Alright, I understand," Lin Shen interrupted her. "I'll be more careful next time. However..."

He glanced at Yang Chaoyue, then at Bai Mengyan, who was listening intently.

"This is a one-time exception. Also, don't talk about what happened tonight when you get back, especially you, Mengyan."

Bai Mengyan immediately assured him, "Don't worry, Brother Shen, I'm known for keeping my mouth shut! Chaoyue and I were just too worried about you!"

"However," Lin Shen's gaze swept over the two girls, "thank you anyway."

This simple thank you completely dispelled Yang Chaoyue's grievances and lingering fear, and Bai Mengyan chuckled as well.

"By the way, where's the porridge I asked you to bring?" Lin Shen suddenly asked.

"Ah!" Yang Chaoyue suddenly remembered, "It must be freezing cold in the apartment."

Lin Shen smiled and said, "It's cold now, so be it. Go back to the apartment. You two, finish that bowl of cold porridge for me. Consider it punishment for your unauthorized actions tonight."

"Huh?!" Both girls made faces at the same time.